1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a clock, and more particularly to an analog radio controlled clock comprising an alarm arrangement which enables a visually impaired user to easily set up alarm through voice signal.
2. Description of Related Arts
A conventional radio controlled clock (such as a conventional analog radio controlled clock) typically comprises a main housing, a plurality of indicating hands rotatably mounted in the main housing, a quartz driving unit coupled with the indicating hands to drive the indicating hands for indicating time, and a control unit provided in the main housing to receive wireless current time information from a reference time station, such as a local observatory, wherein the received radio signal is processed and converted to mechanical representation such that the indicating are driven to predetermined locations for indicating time which corresponds to the current time information transmitted by the radio signal.
A major advantage for conventional radio controlled clock is that the user does not need to refer to another timing device in order to adjust the time of the radio clock. For example, when the user buys a brand new conventional clock which is not a radio controlled clock, he or she has to refer to another timing device (such as his or her watch) and obtain information of the current time. Afterward, the user needs to adjust the time of his or her brand new clock to the current time obtained that another timing device. For radio controlled clock, the user needs only to arrange for receiving radio signal by the radio controlled clock and time information (i.e. location of the indicating hands) will be automatically adjusted upon proper receipt of the radio signal. This advantage is alleged to be of magnificently beneficial to the visually impaired, since the time setting for the clock can be accomplished through minimum physical actuations or control actions on the clock.
Despite this great advantage, conventional radio controlled clock does not cater for all people. In particular, conventional controlled radio clock does not contain any special mechanism for the visually impaired to set the alarm. Almost all of the radio controlled clocks require the user to manually rotate or actuate a predetermined switch provided on the clock in order to set the alarm. This means that even the visually impaired people will have to, despite their poor visual ability, locate and adjust the predetermined switch (usually provided at a rear side of the clock) in order to manually set the alarm. These are highly inconvenient, if not physically impossible, actions for the visually impaired. As a result, many people with impaired visual ability have to rely on other methods and devices (such as requiring special wake-up phone calls) to substitute their needs to traditional alarms. This situation holds true regardless of the types of clocks used (i.e. whether it is a conventional clock or a radio controlled clock).